Rotary engine.



B. E. 81 M. E. STEVENSON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB, 17. 1915.

1,16%,13; Patented B61114, 1915.

. 3 S1iEETS-SHEET I.

'11 M H l l\- I I 11 WITNESSES:

INVENTORS.

B. E. & M. E. STEVENSON.

I ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17. 19,15.

1,14,136. Patented De0.14,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

B. E. 81 M. E. STEVENSON.

'RQTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11. I915. Lliw. 1 Patented Dec.14,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES;

BENJ'AMIN E. STEVENSON AND MARY E. STEVENSON, OF BEDDING, CALIFORNIA.

. norm? ENGINE.

' Patented Dec. 141, 1915 Application filed February 17, 1915. SerialNo. 8,780.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. thatwe, BENJAMIN E. STEVENSON and MARY E. STEVENSON, bothcitizens of the United States, residing at Redding, in the county ofShasta and State of California, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to prime movers and particularly to an engine ofthe rotary type and operative by expansive fluid.

It is an object of the invention to provide a rotary motor with astationary casing having a pressure chamber, and a rotor mountedeccentrically therein with a valve in the "form of a ring surroundingthe rotor, and

carrying an. oscillating abutment member slidably engaging the rotor,operative to control the admission of operating fluid from the pressurechamber.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an internal combustionengine in which there is a casing with an explosion chamber and'acylindrical chamber in which is fitted an annular valve operative toseparate the chambers and to control the admission of pressure to arotary abutment member connected .to andoperating a rotor and its shaft,and to provide suitable inlet, transfor relief and exhaust valves forcontrolling the flow of vapor and gases.

The invention consists of the parts and the combination and constructionof parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, havingreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is anelevation of the engine partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a verticaltransverse section, showing the casin in elevation, showing the pistonin the wor g or ressure cycle. Fig. 3 is a'transverse section showlngthe casing side plates 1n position. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectionboltedendwise to adjacent parallel casings 2 and to form journals for a shaft5 which is eccentric to the common axis of the castion with a pressurechamber 6 in which a combustible vapor is exploded, when the engine isoperating on the explosive principle, by a sparking device 7. Thischamber 6 is adapted to communicate with the interior bore of the casingthrough a port 8, Fig. 2. Turnably fitting the bore of the casing 2 is athrottle valve 9 in the form of a thin, wide ring havin a radial port 10with an extended perip eral canal 11 adapted to sweep beneath the port 8once in each revolution. Fast 011, or formed with the shaft 5 is a rotor11 of such diameter as to have a running contact with the concavedsurface of the valve ring 9. The difference between the diameters of therotor 11 and of the bore of the rim 9 forms a crescentshaped chamber 9.he valve ring 9 and the rotor are operatively connected by a vane orabutment 12 which is pivoted to the ring just ahead of the port" 10, asat 13, and is slidably mounted at the diameter of and in the 'rotor 11.In this drawing the mov- .ing parts rotate, clockwise, and the port 8 isso disposed as to be nearl tangential to the vcircumference.of-the va vering 9 and so movement of fluid from chamber 6 is di-' rected with themotion of the ring and the vane.

When operating as a steam engine, steam is admitted from chamber 6 toact upon the vane 12 as the port 10 coincides with the port 8 and thesteam is not cut ofi until the canal 11 passes. Exhaust from the rotorchamber is provided by a port 14 in one side 3 which may be controlledby a valve 15 and its operating shaft 16.

For operating the motor by the combustion of vapor in chamber 6, anintake port 17 is provided at a suitable location, here shown as belowthe pressure port 8, and entering the crescent rotor chamber 9 throughthe casing side 3. The intake port is controlled b an automaticallyclosing valve 18 operable by the cam shaft 16. a If the intake valve beopen then as the vane swings down past the port 17 a suction effectresults and W111 draw ina charge of fuel (vapor or gas) from a suitablesource; the exhaust valve 15 being open to revent back pressureagainstthe rotating piston 12. The intake revolution may be considered thefirst revolution of the rotor. On the' next revolution, or second Thepressure of the exploded vapor acts through port 8 and as the valve ring9 revolves with the rotor its port 10 opens port 8 to the space behindthe upper surface of the piston 12 and the pressure acts thereon duringthe third revolution of the rotor. 5 The canal 11 permits a completeexpansion of the exploded vapor, during the turning of the ring valve,against the piston. During this revolution the exhaust valve is open toprevent back pressure When the piston 2 starts its second, orcompression revolution,

the production of a vacuum behind the piston 12 is prevented byproviding a relief port and valves for admitting air into the rotorchamber. It will be seen that during the intake stroke immediatelyfollowing working or expansion revolution the burnt gases Wlll becleared from the rotor chamber by the rotating piston. The engine casingbeing divided into separable upper and lower sections permits the rotorsand shaft to be readily lifted from the lower journals when the upperparts are removed. The several mechanically operated valves, except thering valve, are mounted on and in the upper casing parts and the camshaft on the lower parts thus facilitating and increasing accessibility.It is understood that any number of explosions per shaft revolution maybe had by multiplying the number of indi- 4o vidual units.

It is peculiar of this motor that there are .no reciprocating partsutilized in the power chamber and therefore the engine can safely andreadily attain very high speeds. While the piston 12 has a slidingmotion as to the rotor, it in reality rotates about the rotor axis withthe rotor. Another important feature of the engine the rotatingringvalve with its radial port and the circumferential connecting canal11' which main-' tains communication between the combustlo'n chamber andthe rotor chamber. The rmgvalve is preferably supported on ball-bearsings 21. to reduce friction and has peripheral 56 packing rings 22 toreduce pressure loss. If desired the ring-valve may be utilized in areversible steam motor by providing it with a plurality of the radialports 10 each having its canal or groove 11 extended oppositely to 60the other, as in Fig. 7. Y Having thus described our invention what :weclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A rotary combustionengine compris- 6 ing a casing having a fluid admission port,

' the a ring valve mounted concentrically within the casing and providedwith a port adapted to register with the casing port, a rotoreccentrlcally arranged within the casing and ring valve and formedwith-a recess, and 7 a vane slidable in the recess of rotorand. havingits outer end positively connected to the inner periphery of the ring.-2. A rotary combustion engine comprising a casing having a cylindricalbore and pres- -5 sure chamber connected by a port, a ring 1 valvemounted in the bore and provided with a port capable of registering withthe casing port, said ring valve being provided I on its inner peripheryand in. advance of its 30 port with a projection, a rotor eccentricallydisposed within the'casing and valve and formed with a recess, and avane slidable in the recess of the rotor'andpivotally engaging with theprojection of the ring valve. 35 3. A rotary combustion enginecomprising a casing having a cylindrical bore and. pressure chamberconnected by a port, a ring valve mounted in the bore and provided witha port capable of registering with the casing port, said ring valvebeing provided on its inner periphery and in advance of its port with aprojection and on its outer periphery with a circumferential canalextending rearwardly from its port and adapted to pass over the casingport, a rotor eccentrically disposed within the casing and valve andformed with a recess, and a vane slidable in the recess of the rotor andpivotally engaging with the projection of the ring valve. i

4. A rotary combustion engine comprising a casing having a cylindrical 3bore, and a pressure chamber communicating with the bore through anapproximate tangential port, the bore of the casing being provided withintake and exhaust ports and a transfer passage between the bore and.pressure chamber, a ring valve concentric within the borefor controllingthe tangential port, 110 a rotor eccentrically mounted in the ringvalve, and a vane movably connecting the rotor-to the ring valve. v

'5. A rotary combustion engine comprising a casing having a cylindricalbore and a lpgess'ure chamber communicating with the re through anapproximate tangential I porta concentric ring valve arranged in bore'ofthe casing and havin a port providedwith a rearwardly exten ing and III!outwardly inclined peripheral canal adapted to pass over the tangentialport of the easing, a rotor eccentric within the ring valve,-

and a vane movably carried by the rotor' and connected to the'ring valvein advance of the port therein. v

- 6. A rotary combustion'engine comprising a casing having acylindricalbore and a h 7 pressure chamber communicatingv with the 0through an approximate. tangenti'al ta I port, the bore of the casingbeing provided ferpassage between the bore and pressure with intake andexhaust ports and a transchamber, a ring valve concentric within thebore for controlling the tangential port, a rotor eccentrically mountedin the ring valve, a vane movably connecting the rotor to the ringvalve, a valve controlling the transfer passage between the bore andpres-' pressure chamber communicating with the bore through anapproximate tangential port, the bore of the.casing being provided withintake and exhaust ports and a transfer passage between the bore andpressure chamber, a ringvalve concentric within'the bore for controllingthe tangential port, a

rotor eccentricallv mounted in the ring valve, a vane movably connectingthe rotor to the ring valve, a valve controlling the transfer-passagebetween the bore and pressure chamber, a valve in each of the intake andexhaust ports, a sparking device in the pressure chamber, and means foroperating the valves and sparking device to successively intake,transfer and compress, explode and exhaust.

8. A rotary combustion engine comprising a casing with a bore and anexplosion chamber connected thereto by a port, a sparking device in thesparking chamber, a rotor mounted in the bore of the casing, intake andexhaust ports in the bore of the casing, 40 a transfer passageleading'from the bore to the chamber whereby the rotor may take the 'gasfrom the intake and compress it in the chamber, valves for theconnecting port, transfer passage and intake and exhaust ports, meansfor opening the valves in the intake port, transfer passage and exhaustport'successively, and means "for operating the sparking devicesubsequent to compression of the gas in thechamber and after opening andclosing of the transfer passage valve.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

DR, BENJAMIN E. STEVENSON.

MARY E. STEVENSON.

Witnesses:

W. O. BLODGETT.

DAVIs TREBORTH JONES

